Ventilated roofs for boats



Jan. 30, 1962 R. L. BUXMAN VENTILATED ROOFS FOR BOATS Filed Sept. 29, 1958 FIG.

FIG

INV EN TOR. RICHARD L. BUXMAN ATTORNEY 3,018,784 VENTILATED ROOFS FORBOATS Richard Louis Buxman, Howe St., Point Pleasant, NJ. Filed Sept 29,1958, Ser. No. 764,030 3 Claims. (Cl. 135-6) This invention relates toprotective roofs for open cockpit boats and particularly to such roofshaving adjustable air scoops and ventilating means.

Generally, motorboats and the like which have open cockpits are providedwith canvas tops for protection from sun and weather. However, it hasbeen found that canvas top of the type which are presently in use haveno satisfactory means for ventilating the cockpit and for providing aflow of air therethrough. In particular, the industry has beenconfronted by the problem of providing suitable air scoop andventilating means which are properly functional both when a boat is atrest and when it is proceeding at high speed.

The principles and objects of the present invention are concerned withthe provision of an improved roof for open-cockpit boats and aventilating arrangement therefor.

Briefly, a typical protective roof for an open-cockpit boat embodyingthe invention includes a large area main sheet of canvas or the likewhich covers the cockpit of the boat and is supported both on a suitableframe mounted on the boat and on the windshield of the'boat. Accordingto the invention, air scoop and ventilating means are provided whichallow air to circulate through the cockpit with the roof in position.According to the in vention, the ventilating means includes one or morepanels of screen material which are sewed into and comprise an integralpart of the canvas top adjacent to the windshield. An auxiliary panel ofcanvas having an area-slightly larger than that of the screen is sewedover the screen on the outer surface of the canvas. The auxiliary panelthus comprises a cover for the screen. The greater portion of the frontedge of the panel adjacent to the windshield is not sewed to the mainsheet and is left free to be raised and lowered with respect to thescreen. However, the end portions of the front edge of the auxiliarypanel project beyond the screen and over the top edge of the windshieldand are secured either to the portion of the canvas which extends overthe top edge of the windshield or to this portion of the windshielditself. Thus, when the flap is open and the boat is running against thewind, the flap remains open and is not collapsed by the wind. The frontfree edge of the auxiliary panel is provided with a pocket in which ispositioned a length of a resilient metallic reinforcing memher. Thereinforcing member is substantially of the same length as the pocket.The reinforcing member is preformed so that, in its normal state, it iscurved. Thus, in the pocket it curves away from the screen and holds thefree end of the auxiliary panel away from the windshield and the screenso that air may enter through the space provided thereby. Auxiliaryclosure means are provided on the auxiliary panel by which the panel maybe closed over the screen and secured in position. When the panel isclosed, the resilient metal strip is flattened and held underconsiderable tension. Thus, when the closure means is released, thecover flap readily flies open and the air scoop is available foroperation.

The invention is described in greater detail by reference to the drawingwherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a boat having a canvas roofembodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a portion of thecanvas roof of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view, partly in section, of the cover flap ofthe air scoop of the invention.

\ ted States atcnt Referring to the drawings, the principles of theinvention are applicable to canvas tops for many types of boats. In atypical construction, a boat 10 includes a hull 12 and a cockpit 14defined by side members 16 (one is shown) and a front windshield 18. Thewindshield 18 includes a frame 20 in which two windows 21 and 22 aremounted, and the frame includes a top frame member 23. The top framemember 23 has a top edge 24 and a front edge 25. The cockpit thus formedhas an open top which is covered by a large-area, air-tight andwaterproof sheet 26 of canvas or the like. The canvas roof 26 issupported by a suitable tubular metallic frame member 27 and is securedto the sides and back of the cockpit and to the top of the windshield bysuitable snap fasteners 28. The front end of the canvas roof 26 includesan edge portion 31 which extends over the top edge 24 of the top framemember 23 and across at least a portion of the front edge thereof onwhich the snap fasteners 28 are mounted.

According to the invention, air scoop and ventilating means 29 areprovided in the canvas sheet adjacent to 1 the windshield. One or moreof such ventilating means The sheet of screen material 30 is sewed into,or otherwise suitably secured to the main canvas sheet. The screen panel30' includes a generally straight front edge 32 which is parallel to thewindshield and which is positioned closely adjacent thereto. Theremainder of the periphery of the screen extends rearwardly from thewindshield and may be semicircular or may have any other suitable shape.

An auxiliary air-tight flap or panel 34 of canvas or the like isprovided which has the same general shape as the screen and is adaptedto serve as a water-tight cover therefor. Thus, the flap is slightlylarger in area than the screen. The auxiliary flap 34 includes a frontor leading edge 35 and a curved portion 36. The flap 34 is positionedwith its front edge aligned with the front straight edge 32 of thescreen 30 and with its curved edge aligned with the correspondingportion of the screen. The curved portion of the auxiliary flap issewed, or otherwise secured, to the main canvas sheet 26. I

The front edge 35 of the flap 34 is irregular in shape and includescomparatively short projecting end portions 38 which extend forwardlyover the top of the windshield and are sewed or otherwise secured to theportion of the canvas sheet which covers the front edge 25 of the topmember 23 of the windshield. The end portions 38 are provided andsecured in this way to insure that the flap remain open when the boat isrunning into the wind. Thus, the end portions need only be long enoughto perform this function. As an example, with a flap having a front edgelength of about 17 inches, the end portions 38 may be about two incheslong. It has been found that if these end portions are not provided, theflap may collapse and cover the screen when the boat is in rapid motion.Between the two end portions 38, the front edge of the flap 34 extendsrearwardly so that it lies closely adjacent to the front edge of thescreen and so that it, in effect, just covers the screen when lyingflat. This portion of the front edge of the flap 34 is designed so thatthe screen is not obstructed when the flap is in its open position. Alocking tab 40 extends forwardly from about the center of the front edgeof the flap 34 and carries a locking member 42 adapted to engage a snapfastener 28 on the front of the canvas. Thus, the flap may be heldclosed tightly over the screen and provides a water-tight closure. InFIG. 2, one flap is shown open and one is shown closed.

The front edge of the auxiliary flap 34 includes a concealed pocketwhich extends along the length of the front edge thereof. The pocket maybe for-med by an auxiliary strip of canvas 44 sewed, or otherwisesecured, to the under side of the front of the flap. A strip 46 ofresilient metal is positioned in the pocket and has a total lengthsubstantially equal to the total length of the pocket. The strip ispreformed so that it is curved in shape and, as a result, unlessforcibly straightened, it tends to adopt its curved form and bendupwardly away from the screen 30. The strip 46 is oriented in the slotso that its natural tendency is to bend upwardly away from the screenand thus hold the front edge portion of the flap 34 away from thewindshield. In this position of the auxiliary flap 34, air may enter thecockpit through the screen 30. When the fiap is thus open and the metalstrip 46'is bent, its ends do not project into the extreme ends of thepocket. When it is desired to close the flap, pressure is applied to themetal strip which is thereby straightened and its ends extend into theextremities of the pocket and the flap is closed in this position by thelocking tab 40 being secured to the appropriate fastener 28 on thewindshield.

The metal strip 46 is preferably enclosed in a plastic sheath 48 so thatthe strip slides freely in the pocket and does not tear the canvas.

If desired, the seal between the closure flap 34 and the screen 30 maybe reinforced by the provision of a length of tubular insulatingmaterial 50, for example, rubber or the like provided adjacent to theleading edge of the flap 34 and on the botom surface thereof. Theinsulating tube has substantially the same length as the front end ofthe flap and provides a tight seal between the flap and the screen whenthe flap is closed.

It is to be understood that many of the features described above may bevaried as desired within the scope of the invention. For example, thetop sheet may be made of other materials than canvas, such as plastic,leather, or the like. The top may also be convertible or fixed. Inaddition, the shapes of the screen and cover flap may be other thansemicircular as described and shown. The tie members for closing theflap over the screen may take many different forms, and the particularshape is not critical.

What is claimed is:

1. A roof for an open cockpit on a boat which has a windshield having atop edge to which the roof is secured,

said roof comprising a large-area sheet of air-tight material having afront end including an edge portion adapted to fit over the top of thewindshield and adapted to be secured thereto, a screen panel in saidsheet near the front end thereof,

a movable fiap covering said screen paneland having a front edgeadjacent to the front end of said sheet,

all of the edge of said flap except the portion comprising the front endbeing secured to said sheet,

a pocket formed in said flap at the front thereof adjacent to andparallel to said edge portion,

a normally curved flexible metal strip disposed within said pocket andadapted to bend away from the sheet and to hold the front edge of saidflap up and away from said screen to allow air to pass therethrough,

said strip also being capable of being straightened out to allow saidflap to meet and cover said screen panel to prevent air from flowingtherethrough,

a pair of tabs spaced apart at the front end of the flap and extendingforwardly therefrom,

said tabs being secured to the edge portion of the large-area sheetwhich overlays the top of the windshield,

said tabs serving to prevent the movable flap from collapsing under thepressure of air when the boat is running at high speed against a strongwind,

and a locking tab fastened to said flap and adapted to be secured tosaid sheet to hold said flap down and closed over said screen.

2. The roof defined in claim 1 and including a strip of insulatingmaterial secured to the front end of said flap adjacent to said pocketand adapted to provide a seal between the movable flap and thelarge-area sheet when the flap is closed.

3. The roof defined in claim 1 wherein said movable flap is generallysemi-circular in form and includes a curved portion and a straightportion,

the curved portion of its periphery being secured to the large-areasheet and the straight portion being free,

said tabs extending from the sides of the straight portion of the flapadjacent to the curved portion thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,242,541 Gage Oct. 9, 1917 1,531,622 Parsons Mar. 31, 1925 1,792,191Smith Feb. 10, 1931 2,230,454 Friesner et al. Feb. 4, 1941 2,391,871Benson Jan. 1, 1946 2,821,989 Shepard Feb. 4, 1958 2,833,296 WoodrufiMay 6, 1958 2,839,986 Herman June 24, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 207,382 GreatBritain Nov. 29, 1923

